This Bayelsa community saw a car for the first time ever

The people of Aleibiri community in Ekeremor local government area of Bayelsa State saw a motor vehicle driven into their town for the first time ever.

About two weeks ago, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa, accompanied by the Deputy Governor John Jonah, former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Muhktar Shagari, among others, drove for the first time on the Angalabiri/Aleibiri section of the ongoing Bayelsa West senatorial road from Sagbama to Ekeremor.

The governor was received with jubilation by the community members.

The road is a federal road and was originally supposed to be constructed by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). However, the delays in getting the job done caused the Bayelsa government to take it up.

The road – which has been in the works for four decades – is not yet completed. The governor is looking to the end of 2018 for the completion of the N30 billion project which will run from Sagbama to Ekeremor – a distance of over 100 kilometres.

Dickson said the unique terrain of Bayelsa makes it difficult and expensive to bring development to the state.

“They don’t know what we go through to bring about development in this our difficult environment. I had to invite my good friend, Alhaji Muhktar Shagari, to accompany me so that he can see for himself how much this area is in need of development,” he said. “Most importantly, they don’t know what we go through to bring about some semblance of development and so many more of our leaders will be invited to go round our state. Let them go into the creeks and see the conditions under which we live.”